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Or-g    i(u:^l 


Fourteenth  Series,  No.  4  SOUTHERN  B R A N C h(!)|ctober  2X,  1922 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 
LIBRARY, 


'LOS  ANGELES.  CALIF, 


l^eacfjersi  College  pulletin 


A  TENTATIVE  INVENTORY 
OF   HABITS 

Issued  by 

The  Department  of  Kindergarten — First-Grade  Education 
of  Teachers  College 

Prepared  by 

Agnes  L.  Rogers 


Published  by 

tK^eacljerss  CoUcge,  Columbia  ^HnibcriSitp 

525  West  1 20th  Street 
New  York  City 


50(iti0 


tKcadjers!  College  Jl^ulletin 

Fourteenth  Series,  No.  4  October  21,  1922 

Published  twelve  times  a  year:  Fortnightly  in  September,  October,  and 
May,  and  monthly  from  November  to  April,  inclusive.  Entered  as  second- 
class  matter  January  15,  1910,  at  the  Post  Office,  New  York,  N.  Y.,  under 
Act  of  August  24,  1912. 

Acceptance  for  mailing  at  special  rate  of  postage  provided  for  in  Section 
1103,  Act  of  October  3,  1917,  authorized. 


Copyright,  1923,  by  Teachers  College,  Columbia  University 


^-  \    0    (a 

<  -1?  L 


ACKNOWLEDGM  ENTS 

The  inventory  of  habits  which  is  here  presented  is  the  product  of 
a  cooperative  enterprise,  in  which  many  workers  in  kindergarten- 
primary  education  have  shared.  Space  forbids  naming  all  those 
who  have  presented  Hsts  of  habits  which  they  have  succeeded  in 
forming  in  children,  and  those  others  who  have  had  their  pupils 
furnish  us  with  lists  of  the  good  habits  they  are  learning  in  school. 
Special  thanks  for  compiling  such  lists,  however,  are  due  to  the 
members  of  the  courses  in  measurement  for  lower-primary  grades 
which  were  conducted  at  Teachers  College  during  the  summer 
sessions  of  1921  and  1922.  We  are  also  indebted  to  the  members 
of  the  advanced  courses  in  methods,  for  evaluating  and  extending 
the  original  lists. 

To  Miss  Marie  Schuster,  supervisor  of  primary  grades,  Win- 
chester, Virginia,  Miss  Margaret  Hamilton,  assistant  principal  of 
the  Bryn  Mawr  School,  Baltimore,  Miss  Jane  Joslin,  of  the  Goucher 
College  Demonstration  School,  Miss  Luella  Palmer,  director  of 
kindergartens,  New  York  City,  Miss  Frances  Berry,  supervisor  of 
primary  grades,  Baltimore,  and  Professor  Patty  Hill,  professor  of 
education,  Teachers  College,  we  are  directly  indebted  for  the 
children's  lists  of  good  things  learned  in  school.  To  Miss  Helen  A. 
Wesp,  kindergarten  supervisor,  Anderson,  Indiana,  and  to  Miss 
Edith  C.  Rice,  kindergarten  supervisor,  Pittsfield,  Massachusetts, 
we  owe  the  careful  records  of  the  habits  formed  by  322  kindergarten 
children  during  the  winter  of  1921-22. 

The  statistical  analysis  which  the  final  compilation  involved  was 
largely  the  work  of  Miss  Helen  C.  Clowes  of  the  Training  School  for 
Teachers,  Jamaica,  N.  Y.,  who  has  been  in  touch  with  every  phase 
of  the  investigation  from  the  outset  and  whose  contribution  to  the 
inventory  in  its  present  form  is  very  great. 

The  inspiration  for  this  study  was  the  Upton-Chassell  Scale  for 
Measuring  the  Habits  of  Good  Citizenship,^  and  still  more  the 
emphasis  laid  by  Professor  Hill  since  191 5  on  the  importance  of 
records  of  the  behavior  acquisitions  of  children.    Our  debt  to  these 

'  Published  in  pamphlet  form  by  the  Bureau  of  Publications,  Teachers  College. 
See  also  the  Teachers  College  Record,  Vol.  XXIII,  No.  i  (January,  1922). 


4  TEACHERS  COLLEGE  BULLETIN 

workers  is  large.  The  fact  that  so  many  of  the  habits  in  this  inven- 
tory overlap  partially  or  wholly  habits  found  in  the  Upton-Chassell 
Scale  shows  the  extent  of  our  indebtedness  and  corroborates  the 
merit  of  their  list,  though  our  own  was  derived  in  a  different  manner. 
Of  the  124  habits  appearing  in  their  revised  chart,  35  are  implied  by 
our  inventory,  but  of  these  16  are  materially  altered  to  adapt  them 
to  children  in  the  kindergarten  and  first  grade.  The  extent  of 
difference  between  our  list  of  habits  and  the  Upton-Chassell  Scale 
is  due  to  the  fact  that  our  inventory  is  intended  for  younger  children ; 
the  identity  between  them  can  be  attributed  to  the  necessity  for 
stressing  certain  attitudes  continuously  throughout  the  elementary 
school. 

Agnes  L.  Rogers 


A  TENTATIVE  INVENTORY  OF  HABITS 
To  Be  Formed  by  Kindergarten  and  First-Grade  Children 

PURPOSE  OF  THE  INVENTORY 

The  uses  to  which  an  inventory  of  desirable  habits  may  be  put  are 
several,  but  the  main  reason  for  making  a  compendium  of  conduct 
for  children  in  the  kindergarten  and  first  grade  is  that  those  who  are 
responsible  for  their  development  may  have  a  guide  for  teaching 
which  will  provide  specific  objectives  attainable  by  five-  and  six- 
year-olds.  In  the  past  it  has  been  customary  to  provide  teachers  •>^ 
in  the  elementary  school  with  one  tool  of  great  value  in  their  \ 
work — the  course  of  study,  in  which  the  subject-matter  to  be 
covered  is  presented.  However  useful  this  instrument  may  be,  it 
has  nevertheless  been  insufficient,  as  we  have  considerable  evidence 
that  many  children  have  mastered  subject-matter  and  yet  failed  to 
acquire  the  most  important  educational  desiderata.  It  has  been 
emphasized  by  Dewey  and  others  that  pupils  frequently  learn  to 
read  and  count  without  acquiring  any  liking  for  these  pursuits,  and 
that  it  is  not  unusual  for  skill  in  writing  and  drawing  to  be  attained, 
while  teachers,  learning,  and  schools  are  held  in  contempt.  Indeed 
it  is  only  too  common  that  goals  such  as  reading  and  writing  are 
achieved,  while  the  habits  and  attitudes  which  are  the  very  essence 
of  a  good  education  remain  lacking.  / 

The  importance  of  forming  right  habits  and  attitudes  has  been 
widely  recognized  by  kindergarten  teachers,  probably  because  in     \ 
the  case  of  the  kindergarten  a  course  of  study  on  which  all  are     / 
agreed  is  not  available.    Under  the  circumstances  it  was  natural     I 
that  attention  should  be  concentrated  on  children  and  their  needs     / 
rather  than  on  subject-matter.    In  any  case  child-building  has  been    / 
more  carefully  studied  and  deliberately  aimed  at  in  the  kinder-  / 
garten  than  in  higher  grades.   A  marked  impetus  was  given  to  this 
tendency  by  the  Hill  Records  which  induced  hundreds  of  teachers 
to  mark  carefully  the  behavior  of  five-year-olds  and  consequently 
to  evaluate  their  activities  and  to  note  which  led  on  to  goals  uni- 
versally recognized  by  educators  to  be  important. 


6  TEACHERS  COLLEGE  BULLETIN 

To-day  it  is  apparent  that  teachers  in  general  would  benefit  by 
another  type  of  program  than  the  typical  course  of  study.  They 
require  a  restatement  of  their  task  in  terms  of  the  changes  in 
intellect,  character,  and  skill  to  be  effected  in  their  pupils.  This 
program  would  supplement  and  not  supplant  existing  courses  of 
study.  Those  habits  and  attitudes  essential  to  successful  living, 
and  desirable  for  their  own  sake  would  thereby  be  stressed  as  the 
main  objectives  of  education. 

Such  a  restatement  is  peculiarly  necessary  at  the  present  time 
since  as  a  result  of  the  construction  of  standardized  tests  and  scales 
for  the  measurement  of  subject-matter  performances,  greater 
emphasis  is  inevitably  being  laid  on  the  products  of  education 
rather  than  on  the  processes  which  are  its  essence.  The  very  fact 
that  we  can  measure  habits,  attitudes,  and  ideals  only  indirectly 
makes  it  the  more  urgent  that  the  teacher  should  have  in  mind 
their  primacy.  If  standardized  tests  and  scales  are  to  be  a  blessing 
and  not  a  bane,  there  must  be  some  corrective  for  the  natural 
impulse  to  work  for  results  in  subject-matter  rather  than  for  the 
more  permanent  and  essential  elements  of  a  real  education. 

For  purposes  of  inventory,  habits  and  attitudes  can  be  conven- 
iently classified  under  the  five  captions,  health  habits,  personal 
habits,  social-moral  habits,  intellectual  habits,  and  motor  habits. 
The  inventory  presented  in  this  pamphlet  is  intended  to  furnish 
such  a  compendium  for  children  in  the  kindergarten  and  first  grade. 

To  procure  as  objective  and  reliable  a  list  as  possible  recourse  was 
had  to  what  seemed  the  most  satisfactory  sources.  During  the 
summer  session  of  1921  ninety  teachers  and  supervisors  of  kinder- 
garten and  primary  grades  in  the  measurement  courses  for  these 
grades  at  Teachers  College  made  independent  lists  of  habits  which 
they  had  actually  formed  in  children.  Similar  lists  were  made  by 
twenty  teachers  and  supervisors  of  kindergarten  and  primary  grades 
attending  advanced  courses  in  methods  during  the  winter  session 
of  1921-1922,  and  by  fifty  teachers  taking  courses  in  measurement 
in  lower-primary  education  during  the  summer  session  of  1922. 
These  lists  in  themselves  furnished  a  first  basis  for  evaluating  the 
habits.  Habits  listed  by  many  persons  are  obviously  more  impor- 
tant for  inclusion  in  an  inventory  than  habits  listed  by  only  a  few. 
The  percentage  of  the  groups  naming  each  habit  was  determined. 

The  habits  were  also  appraised  by  a  group  of  twenty-five  judges, 


I 


AN     INVENTORY     OF     HABITS  7 

who  made  their  estimate  of  each,  from  the  standpoint  of  its  inclusion 
in  our  inventory,  with  the  following  principles  in  mind.  First,  the 
habits  and  attitudes  which  are  essential  to  successful  living  in  a 
broad  sense  were  to  be  given  high  value.  Second,  only  those  habits 
which  could  be  verified  as  present  and  controlled  by  the  teacher  were 
to  be  estimated  highly.  For  example,  the  habit  of  sleeping  for 
twelve  hours  out  of  the  twenty-four  is  important  for  the  child  of 
five  or  six,  and  its  establishment  indirectly  affects  the  other  forms 
of  learning  for  which  the  teacher  is  directly  responsible.  If  a 
pupil  is  not  having  sufficient  sleep,  his  ability  to  learn  in  general 
is  decreased.  Nevertheless  this  habit  is  not  included  in  our  inventory 
for  teachers,  because  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  control  its  acquisi- 
tion directly.  Parents  must  accept  full  responsibility  for  its  forma- 
tion in  the  child  of  five  or  six,  and  it  is  accordingly  placed  in  a  list 
made  for  their  guidance,  given  on  page  19,  which  it  is  expected  they 
will  use  together  with  the  teachers'  inventory.  Habits  which  the 
teacher  could  not  check  up  were  considered  inappropriate  for  our 
purpose  and  rejected.  Again,  only  habits  relevant  to  a  school 
community  were  retained.  Thus,  there  are  unquestionably  some 
habits  which  are  valuable  which  have  not  been  included  in  the 
inventory  for  teachers,  but  it  was  our  opinion  that  these  would 
merely  have  added  to  the  length  without  increasing  the  strength 
of  our  list.  Third,  only  habits  and  attitudes  which  were  judged  to 
be  natural  for  children  of  five  and  six  were  considered.  Many  worthy 
habits  were  rejected  because  the  majority  of  the  judges  held  that 
it  was  unlikely  that  children  of  those  ages  would  form  them  even 
under  favorable  circumstances.  It  was  our  aim  to  secure  a  list 
so  limited  in  length  that  it  would  be  a  help  rather  than  an  addi- 
tional burden  to  the  busy  teacher.  Thus  we  excluded  such  habits 
as  "Is  painstaking  in  directing  strangers"  in  favor  of  more  elemen- 
tary and  natural  habits  for  young  children.  Wherever  it  was 
practicable  preference  was  given  to  the  more  specific  and  objective 
description  of  the  particular  end  to  be  attained  and  to  positive 
rather  than  negative  phrasing  of  habits.  In  this  manner  the  inven- 
tory in  its  initial  form  was  constructed. 

Records  were  kept  of  the  acquisition  of  the  habits  in  this  first 
inventory  for  322  kindergarten  children  in  several  communities 
during  the  academic  year  1921-22,  These  records  provided  a  check 
on  the  judgments  made  by  teachers  as  to  the  appropriateness  of  the 


8  TEACHERS  COLLEGE  BULLETIN 

habits  for  children  of  five  and  six.  A  further  check  was  derived 
from  an  extensive  inquiry  made  of  children  themselves  as  to  the 
good  things  they  were  learning  in  school.  The  investigation  included 
children  whose  ages  ranged  from  three  and  a  half  to  eleven  years. 
The  older  pupils  who  could  write  made  their  own  independent 
lists  as  a  class  exercise.  The  younger  children  were  either  questioned 
individually  by  their  teacher,  or  a  stenographic  report  was  made  of 
a  class  discussion  on  the  topic,  "What  good  things  have  you  learned 
in  school?"  Records  were  obtained  from  all  the  children  in  the 
primary  grades  of  the  public  schools  of  Winchester,  Virginia,  from 
the  kindergarten  through  the  fourth  grade  of  the  Bryn  Mawr 
School,  Baltimore,  from  the  kindergarten  of  the  Goucher  College 
Demonstration  School,  from  the  pre-kindergarten  through  the 
first  grade  of  the  Horace  Mann  School,  New  York  City,  from  the 
kindergarten  and  primary  grades  of  many  public  schools  of  New 
York  City,  and  from  the  kindergarten  and  primary  grades  of  public 
schools  in  Baltimore. 

The  habits  named  by  pupils  in  answer  to  this  inquiry  not  only 
afforded  a  valuable  additional  check  on  our  lists,  but  also  showed 
I  that  children  are  conscious  of  specific  aims  in  conduct  co  be  attained. 
They  likewise  showed  what  different  teachers  were  emphasizing  in 
conduct  and  character-forming,  and  revealed  class-room  conditions 
in  a  new  light.  In  selecting  habits  from  the  lists  furnished  by 
children  for  the  inventory  in  its  present  revised  form,  account  was 
taken  only  of  the  habits  listed  by  pupils  from  four  to  eight  years 
old.  Of  these  we  had  1857  cases.  In  our  final  selection  we  attached 
much  weight  to  the  frequency  of  occurrence  of  the  habit  in  the 
children's  lists  since  there  could  be  no  question  as  to  the  naturalness 
of  the  habit  in  these  cases  and  as  to  its  possible  acquisition  and 
importance.  As  a  result  certain  new  habits  from  the  children's 
lists  were  added  to  our  inventory.  The  children's  lists  were  helpful 
too  in  our  final  phrasing  of  the  habits,  as  in  general  it  was  found 
that  their  wording  was  more  terse  and  less  ambiguous  than  that 
of  teachers.  The  inventory  in  its  present  form  was  therefore  based 
on  the  following  procedure. 

I.  A  first  habit  inventory  was  compiled  from  independent  lists  of 
habits  actually  found  in  children  by  ninety  teachers  and  super- 
visors in  the  kindergarten  and  first  grade.  These  teachers  were 
members  of  courses  in  measurement  for  lower-primary  education 


AN     INVENTORY     OF     HABITS  9 

during  the  summer  session  of  1921  at  Teachers  College.  The 
percentage  of  the  group  naming  each  habit  was  calculated  and 
thus  a  first  evaluation  of  the  significance  of  the  habits  obtained. 
Percentages  ranged  from  one  to  sixty-two.  Each  of  the  habits 
was  then  evaluated  by  twenty-five  judges  who  were  specialists  in 
lower-primary  grades  with  the  following  principles  in  view: 
(i)  Its  importance  from  the  standpoint  of  a  school  community; 
(2)  The  possibility  of  the  teacher  controlling  it  and  verifying 
its  presence;  and  (3)  Its  naturalness  and  appropriateness  for 
children  of  five  and  six.  The  inventory  in  this  first  form  was 
mimeographed  and  distributed  for  preliminary  trial  in  August 
1921. 

During  the  winter  session  of  1921-22,  twenty  members  of 
an  advanced  practicum  in  kindergarten-primary  methods 
again  evaluated  the  habits  and  added  ten  new  habits,  which 
they  held  to  be  sufficiently  important  for  inclusion. 

Fifty  teachers  and  supervisors  in  lower-primary  grades  who 
were  members  of  the  courses  in  measurement  in  that  field  during 
the  summer  session  of  1922  at  Teachers  College  made  independ- 
ent lists  of  habits  which  they  had  succeeded  in  forming  in 
children  of  ages  five  and  six.  These  new  lists  served  as  a  useful 
check  on  our  first  habit  inventory.  The  most  striking  feature 
was  their  substantial  corroboration  of  our  original  inventory 
together  with  the  marked  increase  in  the  numbers  listing  the 
habits  in  our  lists.  The  emphasis  placed  on  habit-forming 
during  the  past  year  has  already  borne  fruit;  teachers  apparently 
are  definitely  striving  to  achieve  these  ends  to  a  greater  extent 
than  before.  Certain  additional  habits  were  included  from 
these  new  lists. 

A  second  habit  inventory  was  constructed  in  the  summer  session 
of  1922  by  combining  the  results  of  these  several  evaluations 
with  new  information  obtained  from  the  records  kept  of  the 
habits  listed  in  the  original  inventory  which  had  been  acquired 
by  322  kindergarten  children  in  the  course  of  the  winter  of  the 
year  1921-22;  and  with  additional  facts  furnished  by  lists  of 
habits  made  independently  by  1857  children  in  pre-kindergarten, 
kindergarten,  first,  and  second  grades.  This  revised  inventory 
was  evaluated  by  nine  specialises  in  this  field  with  a  view  to 


10         TEACHERS  COLLEGE  BULLETIN 

selecting  the  minimum  number  of  essential  habits,  in  order  to 
reduce  the  inventory  to  a  reasonable  length.  The  inventory 
of  habits  which  is  given  on  pp.  14-18  represents  this  new  form. 
Although  it  is  based  on  considerable  experimental  work,  it  is 
still  merely  tentative  and  it  is  issued  with  a  view  to  further 
verification  and  criticism.  The  cooperation  of  those  using  it  is 
desired.  Records  should  be  sent  to  Dr.  Agnes  L.  Rogers, 
Goucher  College,  Baltimore,  Maryland. 

HOW  TO  USE  THE  INVENTORY  IN  ITS  PRESENT  FORM 

The  inventory  in  its  present  form,  given  on  pages  14-18,  repre- 
sents an  excellent  specification  of  work  to  be  done  in  character- 
forming  for  children  in  the  kindergarten  and  first  grade,  which 
should  aid  the  teacher  appreciably.  The  aim  of  the  present  publica- 
tion, however,  is  also  to  acquire  further  information  with  regard  to 
habit  formation  in  children,  and  in  particular  to  ascertain  when 
children  do  acquire  these  behavior  responses.  It  would  be  of  service 
to  the  beginning  teacher,  for  instance,  to  know  in  advance  the 
typical  attainment  of  the  five-year-old  on  entering  school,  and  what 
habits  the  average  child  can  be  expected  to  have  after  four,  eight, 
or  twelve  weeks  in  school.  To  set  forth  for  the  guidance  of  teachers 
the  actual  attainments  of  representative  groups  of  children  would 
facilitate  the  teacher's  task,  since  such  a  program  would  incite  her 
to  provide  pupils  with  such  opportunities  as  would  evoke  the 
desired  conduct,  and  to  furnish  them  with  sufficient  exercise  to 
establish  such  responses  permanently. 

We  aim,  therefore,  at  discovering  how  long,  on  the  average,  a 
child  must  be  in  school  before  a  certain  habit  is  established,  and 
thereby  to  derive  minimum  standards  for  children  of  several 
mental  age  levels.  For  this  purpose  record  sheets  accompany 
this  publication,  on  which  it  is  intended  that  the  teacher  should 
write  opposite  the  number  of  each  habit  and  beneath  the  name  of 
a  given  child  the  number  of  weeks  of  schooling  the  child  has  had 
before  the  habit  has  been  acquired. 

Certain  difficulties  will  at  once  occur  to  the  reader  and  we  shall 
endeavor  to  forestall  these.  First  it  should  be  understood  that 
after  this  investigation  is  completed  and  the  order  of  formation  of 
these  habits  is  ascertained,  it  is  planned  to  have  a  limited  inventory 


AX     INVENTORY     OF     HABITS  II 

for  shorter  periods.  For  example,  it  may  prove  best  to  have  a  short 
list  of  habits  for  the  month  of  September,  another  for  the  month 
of  October,  and  so  on  for  each  separate  month.  These  lists  would 
contain  few  habits  comparatively.  The  present  formidable  array 
of  habits  is  only  temporary. 

Meantime,  as  we  are  ignorant  of  the  typical  order  of  formation, 
it  is  hoped  that  teachers  using  the  habit  inventory  will  concentrate 
attention  at  first  on  the  habits  it  seems  to  them  advisable  to  form 
early  in  the  school  year.  The  habits  under  each  caption  are  arranged 
so  that  habits  obviously  akin  are  grouped  together.  The  complete 
list  of  habits  should  first  be  carefully  studied  before  any  recording 
is  done,  in  order  that  the  appearance  in  a  child  of  any  habit  which 
the  teacher  does  not  happen  to  be  stressing  at  that  time  should 
not  be  overlooked. 

It  may  be  asked  how  can  any  one  know  when  a  habit  is  properly 
established.  We  suggest  two  good  working  methods  for  this  which 
we  have  ourselves  tried  quite  successfully.  First,  for  some  habits 
it  is  most  convenient  to  note  the  transgressions  that  occur.  If  for 
a  week,  or  five  consecutive  school  days  no  transgressions  have  been 
observed  we  can  safely  assume  that  the  habit  is  acquired.  Of 
course  rare  transgressions  may  occur  under  exceptional  circum- 
stances in  children  as  in  adults,  but  these  are  not  significant.  Thus 
if  a  pupil  in  the  course  of  a  week  does  not  fail  to  select  a  suitable 
chair  and  sit  in  it  correctly,  we  can  be  reasonably  certain  that  the 
habit  is  established.  For  other  habits  it  is  preferable  to  observe 
positive  occurrences.  If  for  instance  in  the  course  of  a  week  the 
teacher  observes  that  a  child  on  three  different  occasions  finds 
useful  occupations  when  others  are  completed  she  can  be  fairly 
certain  that  this  habit  is  formed  in  the  pupil. 

If  it  is  objected  that  there  might  be  no  opportunity  under  class- 
room conditions  for  the  pupil  to  demonstrate  that  he  has  formed 
the  habit,  we  would  suggest  that  this  indicates  the  need  for  changing 
the  schoolroom  situation,  as  these  habits  and  attitudes  are  so 
fundamental  that  ample  opportunity  for  their  exercise  ought  to  be 
provided.  It  is  true  that  the  correct  use  of  a  handkerchief  is 
more  easily  trained  when  colds  are  rife,  but  the  fact  that  69  per  cent 
of  a  group  of  ninety  workers  in  lower-primary  education  included 
this  habit  in  their  lists  shows  that  opportunity  to  develop  it  is 
not  lacking. 


12  TEACHERS      COLLEGE      BULLETIN 

HOW  TO  USE  THE  RECORD  SHEETS 

The  steps  in  the  use  of  the  five  Record  Sheets^  which  accompany 
this  publication  are  as  follows: 

1.  At  the  top  of  each  Record  Sheet  write  in  the  name  of  the 
particular  habit  list  to  be  used,  namely  Health,  Personal, 
Social-Moral,  Intellectual  or  Motor  as  the  case  may  be. 

2.  Write  in  the  names  of  the  pupils,  boys  and  girls  separately, 
in  alphabetical  order  with  their  chronological  ages  and  mental 
ages  (wherever  possible)  in  the  columns  provided  on  each 
separate  sheet. 

3.  Once  a  week  record  the  new  habits  attained  by  your  pupils 
in  the  following  way.  Consider  one  habit  at  a  time  and 
decide  which  children  have  acquired  it.  Then  opposite  the 
number  of  the  habit  and  below  the  pupils'  names  record  the 
number  of  weeks  each  child  who  has  just  formed  it  has 
actually  attended  school.  For  example,  if  it  is  November  10, 
1922,  and  during  that  school  week,  namely  November  6  to  10, 
a  child  has  never  failed  to  choose  a  chair  suited  to  his  needs, 
whereas  in  previous  weeks  he  had  always  transgressed  one 
or  more  times,  and  if  further  he  has  attended  from  September 
II  with  only  five  days'  absence,  under  his  name  opposite 
habit  number  12  in  the  Record  Sheet  for  Health  Habits 
write  7,  which  represents  the  amount  of  actual  schooling  in 
weeks  he  has  had  prior  to  this  last  week  in  which  there  have 
been  no  transgressions  observed.  An  easy  way  to  determine 
the  number  of  weeks  of  schooling  is  to  find  first  the  number 
of  days  the  pupil  has  been  present.  Divide  this  number  by 
five.  If  the  answer  gives  a  fraction,  add  i  where  this 
fraction  is  greater  than  yi,  otherwise  neglect  it. 

If  a  child  has  a  habit  already  formed  on  entering  school,  zero 
should  be  entered  under  the  child's  name  opposite  the  habit.  If 
the  teacher  thinks  important  habits  have  been  omitted  from  our 
inventory,  she  should  add  them  to  the  appropriate  lists  and  keep 
records  of  them  as  of  the  other  habits. 

It  will  be  a  simple  matter  for  the  teacher  to  compare  the  achieve- 
ments of  pupils  by  adding  the  total  number  of  habits  formed  in 

^  If  additional  Record  Sheets  are  required,  they  may  be  obtained  for  15  cents  per 
package  from  the  Bureau  of  Publications,  Teachers  College,  525  West  120th  Street, 
New  York  City.    Each  package  contains  10  Record  Sheets. 


AN      INVENTORY     OF     HABITS  I3 

the  course  of  the  year,  or  for  shorter  periods.  Only  by  a  painstaking 
analysis  and  description  of  specific  objectives  will  the  education 
of  children  advance  and  improve.  The  habit  inventory  is  one  step 
in  the  direction  of  providing  such  definite  goals  for  the  teacher's 
endeavor  along  lines  whicn  are  insufficiently  emphasized  at  all  levels 
of  educational  effort.  Much  of  the  aid  which  psychology  was  ex- 
pected to  give  has  failed  to  lead  to  marked  improvement  in  teaching, 
because  though  aware  of  the  laws  of  efficient  learning,  teachers 
lacked  a  clear  idea  of  what  precise  mental  changes  were  to  be  made 
in  their  pupils.  Plain  definition  of  specific  goals  and  clear  statement 
of  attainable  standards  for  normal  children  will  lead  to  fairer 
results;  and,  in  addition,  an  aspect  of  education  which  is  apt  to  be 
obscured  will  obtain  due  recognition. 

AN  EASY  METHOD  OF  SCORING 

It  will  be  noted  that  the  spacing  of  the  horizontal  lines  on  the 
Record  Sheets  is  exactly  the  same  as  the  spacing  in  the  Habit  Lists 
given  on  pp.  14-18;  this  affords  a  mechanical  convenience  for 
carrying  out  the  actual  scoring.  If  it  is  desired,  for  example,  to  make 
a  record  of  the  acquisition  of  the  Health  Habits  given  on  p.  14,  lay 
the  Record  Sheet  at  the  right  side  of  the  list  of  Health  Habits,  so 
adjusting  its  position  that  the  black  horizontal  lines  of  the  two 
sheets  coincide,  making  certain  that  the  numbers  at  the  left  margin 
of  the  Record  Sheet  are  exactly  opposite  those  at  the  left  margin 
of  the  list  of  Health  Habits.  Write  on  the  Record  Sheet,  in  the 
square  under  each  pupil's  name  and  opposite  each  habit,  the 
number  representing  the  weeks  the  pupil  has  been  in  school  before 
acquiring  the  particular  habit. 


14         TEACHERS  COLLEGE  BULLETIN 


HEALTH  HABITS 

1 

Comes  to  school  clean. 

W^ 

2 

Washes  hands  before  eating. 

3 

Takes  care  of  finger  nails. 

4 

Uses  tooth  brush  properly. 

5 

Keeps  fingers  and  materials  away  from  mouth,  no$6,  and  ears. 

6 

Uses  handkerchief  properly. 

7 

Covers  mouth  when  sneezing  or  coughing. 

i. 

8 

Makes  a  proper  use  of  drinking  apparatus.  ; 

w 

9 

Does  not  handle  unnecessarily  his  own  food  or  that  of  others. 

10 

Does  not  bring  candy  to  school. 

■  y 

11 

Observes  rest  period. 

• 

12 

Selects  a  suitable  chair  and  sits  in  it  correctly. 

13 

Holds  body  in  erect  position  when  standing. 

14 

Holds  handwork  or  book  in  a  correct  position. 

15 

16 

17 

18 

19 

20 

21 

22 

<■ 


I 


AN     INVENTORY     OF      HABITS  I5 

PERSONAL  HABITS 


1     Comes  to  school  on  time. 


2     Responds  instantly  to  signals. 


3     Obeys  the  teacher  or  any  one  in  authority 


4     Eats  with  mouth  shut. 


5     Takes  mouthfuls  of  suitable  size. 


6     Does  not  talk  with  mouth  full  when  eating. 


7     Lets  few  crumbs  fall  when  eating. 


8     Keeps  floor  clean. 


9     Puts  away  materials. 


10     Keeps  desk,  toys,  shelves  and  lockers  in  order. 


11     Does  not  waste  materials. 


12     Closes  doors  and  moves  furniture  quietly. 


13     Reports  broken  toys  immediately. 


14     Tells  the  truth. 


15     Is  careful  with  books. 


16     Values  and  takes  care  of  things  he  has  made. 


17     Does  not  give  up  easily 


18     Salutes  when  the  flag  is  presented. 


19     Stands  when  the  national  anthem  is  sung. 


20     Is  reverent  at  prayer. 

21 

22 


l6         TEACHERS  COLLEGE  BULLETIN 

SOCIAL-MORAL  HABITS 

1  Is  polite  in  entering  or  leaving  rooms  or  in  passing  people.  \l 

2  Says,  "Please-thank-you-excuse  me-good-morning-good-bye." 

3  Keeps  hands  off  other  people. 

4  Is  friendly  toward  other  children,  v 

5  Does  not  tattle. 

6  Waits  for  his  turn.  J 

7  Does  not  take  the  best  for  himself. 

8  Is  willing  to  share  school  materials  and  his  own  possessions. 

9  Does  not  say  or  do  anything  to  annoy  others. 

10  Shows  kindness  to  those  who  are  younger  or  weaker. 


11     Plays  fair  and  works  fair. 


12  Allows  the  child  who  first  obtains  a  toy  to  keep  it. 

13  Does  not  take  anything  that  belongs  to  another  child. 


14     Gives  back  things  lost  to  ov/ner. 


15     Does  not  quarrel. 


16  Settles  difficulties  without  appealing  to  the  teacher. 

17  Does  not  interrupt  others  needlessly. 

18  Lets  one  child  talk  at  a  time. 


19     Obeys  the  rules  of  the  group. 


20  Is  willing  to  take  part  in  group  activities. 

Is  good-natured  under  trying  circumstances,  e.g.,  when  he  cannot  have  his 

21  own  way,  or  when  he  loses  his  possessions. 

Takes    responsiblHty    for    class     management     assigned     by    teacher    to 

22  pupils^ ',     "" 


AN     INVENTORY     OF     HABITS 


INTELLECTUAL  HABITS 


1     Comprehends  when  first  addressed.  t^*^ 


2     Performs  errands  satisfactorily. 


3     Dramatizes  a  simple  story,    i^ 


4     Narrates  a  simple  story. 


5     Enjoys  humorous  situations. 


6  Avoids  ungrammatical  forms  of  English  like  "it  ain't." 

7  Listens  attentively  to  nursery  rhymes  and  stories. 


8     Asks  for  help  only  when  necessary. 


VL 


9     Helps  to  make  usable  rules. 


10  Finds  useful  occupations  when  others  are  completed.     '    

11  Uses  good  judgment  in  selection  of  materials. 

12  Concentrates  on  his  work.       

13  Can  see  defects  in  his  work  and  strives  to  improve  it. 

14  Plans  in  advance  the  steps  he  must  take  to  carry  out  his  project. 

15  Holds  his  project  in  mind  until  it  is  completed. 

16  Appreciates  success  with  school  work. 

17 

18 

19      

20     

21 

22 


TEACHERS  COLLEGE  BULLETIN 


MOTOR  SKILLS 

)^ 

1 

Puts  wraps  and  rubbers  in  the  proper  place. 

(^ 

2 

Puts  on  and  removes  wraps  quickly. 

V 

3 

Takes  off  and  puts  on  his  own  rubbers. 

4 

Keeps  in  line.   \/ 

5 

Uses  feet  alternately  in  going  up  and  down  stairs. 

l^ 

6 

Performs  physical  activities  such  as  skipping,  galloping,  hopping,  running, 
marching,  dancing.                 \y 

1^ 

7 

Carries  liquids  carefully. 

8 

Ties  shoe  strings,  sashes,  ribbons,  etc. 

\^ 

9 

Handles  crayon,  paint-brush  and  pencil  properly. 

10 

Uses  needle  and  scissors. 

11 

Can  use  spade,  shovel,  fork,  trowel,  rake,  hoe.   >^ 

12 

Can  hammer,  saw,  plane,  use  brace  and  bit  and  knife. 

L 

13 

Counts  children,  chairs,  etc. 

14 

Taps  to  music. 

15 

Carries  a  tune. 

/ 

16 

Sings  softly. 

17 

Does  not  use  baby  talk. 

18 

Articulates  clearly. 

1 

19 

Uses  a  pleasing  voice. 

20 

Arranges  flowers  well. 

21 

Uses  ruler  and  other  measuring  instruments,  e.g.,  scales  and  liquid 
measure. 

22 

RECORD  SHEET  FOR HABITS 


— 

"^ 

To   be   used  with   A   Tentative   Ix\-extory  of   Habits 
Published,   1922,  by   Teachers   Cc«-lege,   Columbia  Univeksity 


1 


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AN     INVENTORY     OF      HABITS  I9 

LIST  OF  HABITS  TO  BE  ESTABLISHED  IN  FIVE- 
AND  SIX-YEAR-OLDS  BY  PARENTS 

This  list  is  not  to  be  reported  by  teachers. 

1.  Sleeps  twelve  hours  every  night  with  open  window. 

2.  Bathes  regularly. 

3.  L^ses  individual  towel. 

4.  Wears  proper  clothing,  removing  day  clothes  and  wearing  night 

clothes  at  night. 

5.  Uses  toilet  properly. 

6.  Washes  hands  after  going  to  toilet. 

7.  Eats  only  at  meals. 

8.  Drinks  the  proper  quantity  of  milk  and  water  daily. 

9.  Eats  some  fruit  and  vegetables  every  day. 

10.  Does  not  eat  too  much  candy. 

11.  L'ses  money  given  him  to  buy  lunch  in  the  right  way. 

12.  Plays  part  of  every  day  out  of  doors. 

13.  Dresses  and  undresses  himself  morning  and  night. 

14.  Avoids  getting  wet,  wears  rubbers,  and  removes  damp  clothing. 

15.  Shows  no  fear  of  animals,  storms  or  darkness. 

16.  Goes  directly  home  from  school. 

17.  Comes  to  school  regularly. 

18.  Is  careful  in  crossing  streets,  boarding  cars. 

19.  Carries  out  directions  of  school  nurse,  doctor  and  teacher. 

20.  Does  not  take  or  destroy  the  property  of  others.  '^ 

21.  Does  not  go  too  often  to  moving  pictures. 


5  0  G  G  0 


SOUTHERN  BRANCH, 

UNIVERSITY  OP  CALIFORNIA, 

LIBRARY, 

LOS  ANGELES,  CALIF. 


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